New-look Lakers put Rob Pelinka’s future under microscope

It’s safe to say Lakers head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka has a lot riding on this season. LeBron James is gone. New ownership will soon be settling in. Pelinka has reshaped the team around Luka Doncic.

You can’t really question many of Pelinka’s moves this offseason. He landed Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and several others via trades and signings. L.A. looks different this season. Some will say it looks better.

Nevertheless, Pelinka could be feeling some heat. If things don’t work out … well, you know how this usually goes.

This is something that was covered extensively in a column by Jim Alexander of the Orange County Register. 

“Remember that Pelinka is an inherited employee, now that the Lakers’ majority ownership has changed for the second time in 14 months,” Alexander wrote. “We don’t yet know what new owners Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner have in mind, nor how quick they might be to act should things not go as hoped.”

Alexander also mentioned something that never changes when it comes to the Lakers: Anything short of contention “is a season below expectations.” And quite frankly, one that Pelinka might not survive.

In most places, that conversation doesn’t take place until after the season. In L.A., it’s never too early to start.